The Hindu 09.03.2013
Rs.40 crore additional Central fund for MSDP
Minister for Urban Affairs and Minority Welfare Manjalamkuzhi Ali has said that the Union Ministry has earmarked Rs.40 crore as additional fund under the Multi Sectoral Development Programme (MSDP) for the minorities in the district.
Speaking to media persons here on Friday after attending a review meeting on the implementation of the MSDP in the district, Mr. Ali said that additional fund was earmarked following timely utilisation of funds for six of the seven projects under the programme.
Kerala was the only State that had completed projects under the MSDP on time, Mr. Ali said.
Union Minister for Minority Affairs K. Rahman Khan would inaugurate the completed projects by the middle of April.
A total of Rs.29.9 crore had been allotted to the district under the programme so far, including Rs.22.4 crore as Central fund and Rs.7.5 crore as State share, the Minister said.
In the review meeting, Mr. Ali directed the District Collector and a monitoring committee constituted for the programme to complete the remaining work under the project before April 10 and draft projects to improve the infrastructure facilities for minorities in the district utilising the additional fund.
Training centre
Earlier, Mr. Ali inaugurated a centre to train youth from the minority communities for various competitive tests. At the centre, 80 per cent of the seats are reserved for youth from Muslim community and the remaining for those from other backward communities.
Coaching will be offered free of cost.
